Urges State Vigilance Commission to inquire into the ‘arbitrary disposing of vehicles’
DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 21 (MExN): The People for Democratic Rights (PDR) has alleged that the Department of Tourism, Nagaland has been randomly condemning vehicles on scrap basis and reserving price citing feeble reasons even before the expiry of life span for condemning vehicles as per norms set by the state government.
According to a press release issued by media & publicity affairs, PDR, the tourism department had disposed a total of 13 vehicles between 2015-17. The oldest vehicle disposed was purchased in the year 2010 and clearly has not exhausted the life span. As per Government Office Memorandum issued by the Chief Secretary on February 13, 2012, the normal life span of government vehicles for the purpose of condemnation has been fixed at 10 years.
Various documents pertaining to condemnation of the vehicles show that the Condemnation Board Meeting (CBM) has all been manipulated with different dates and even years of meeting and various dates along with signatures of the various Board members, the PDR alleged.
As per two condemnation orders, which the PDR claim is in their hands, the CBM was put up as April 11, 2015 while in the content of order it was written as February 3, 2016. Similarly in the second order, it is mentioned that the meeting was held on October 25, 2017, however, the officer who recorded the meeting minutes has written the date along the signature at the bottom of the page as October 25, 2016.
Dates of purchase of the disposed vehicles also vary from the ones recorded in the Board minutes and other official documents of the department pertaining to purchase of those vehicles. There are many other such anomalies clearly pointing to backdated documents pertaining to condemnation of the vehicles, the PDR stated.
In the second CBM which was held under the chairmanship of former Commissioner & Secretary of tourism department, Angau I. Thou, 10 vehicles were condemned out of which many vehicles are within manufacturer warranty and ranges from 2 years to 8 years all below prescribed years by the government, the PDR alleged.
In this connection, the PDR has urged the State Vigilance Commission to inquire into the arbitrary disposing of vehicles by the tourism department without following government set norms and indulging in backdated/manipulated Board meetings and confiscate/cease all those vehicles condemned before 10 years.
It further demanded that the Chief Minister suspend all those erring officers involved in the vehicle condemnation board for fair and impartial inquiry. PDR reminded the CM that Nagaland being economically dependent on the center’s mercy cannot overlook such issues and give a free go. It further demanded that the government should set development as a priority and public welfare works over buying high-end vehicles for its employees.
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